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Battle
- Author
- Iain MacGregor
- Narrator
- Mike Sengelow
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date
- 8 October 2026
- Run Time
- 11 hours 49 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Military history
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What to expect
'A majestic survey... Here are the military doctrines, weapons, luck and leadership that forged our world' DAN SNOW
'Elegantly crafted... and written with an eye for telling detail' JONATHAN DIMBLEBY
'Gripping, thoughtful and extremely timely' PATRICK BISHOP
For centuries, battles have determined the fate of nations, toppled empires and reshaped civilisations. In Battle, award-winning historian Iain MacGregor charts the key encounters that have shaped the evolution of warfare – from the clash of hoplite spears at Marathon and the storm of longbows at Agincourt, to the firestorms of Stalingrad and the drone warfare of modern Ukraine.
Battle is far more than a chronicle of triumphs and defeats. MacGregor delves into the human and technological driving forces behind history’s most decisive clashes: the brilliance – and hubris – of leadership, the revolutionary impact of new weaponry, the fragile lifeline of supply, and, above all, the endurance of morale – the lifeblood of any army. Famous commanders from Julius Caesar to Napoleon are seen afresh as MacGregor examines the units they led, the weapons they used and the tactics that brought them victory, illuminating both the genius and the folly that turned battlefields into crucibles of history.
Panoramic in scope yet alive with vivid detail, Battle is an exhilarating ride through centuries of conflict and innovation. MacGregor provides both an authoritative study and a gripping narrative of how war has been fought – and how it has shaped the world in which we live today.
Critics Review
-
A majestic survey. MacGregor transports us from the Iron Age to the Nuclear Age, from jungle to desert; mountain to ocean. Here are the military doctrines, weapons, luck and leadership that forged our world
DAN SNOW
-
Iain MacGregor’s elegantly crafted new book offers far more than a grand parade of great battlefield dramas. Based on prodigious scholarship and written with an eye for telling detail, Battle provides a host of fresh insights which illuminate the common characteristics that have made the difference between victory and defeat in struggles which, down the centuries, have shaped the course of human history
JONATHAN DIMBLEBY
-
Battle shows MacGregor at his very best - fluent, incisive and utterly engaging. This is a compulsively readable, fascinating sweep through military history. A narrative that should be on every history buff's bookcase
ALEX KERSHAW
-
Battle is gripping, thoughtful and extremely timely. People and politicians alike have forgotten the timeless meaning of war. The wisdom distilled in MacGregor's book will bring it home to them with stunning and disturbing clarity
PATRICK BISHOP
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Iain MacGregor
- Narrator
- Mike Sengelow
- Duration
- 11 hours 49 minutes
- Release Date
- 8 October 2026
- ISBN
- 9781526685063
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Genre
- Military history
Synopsis
Bloomsbury presents Battle by Iain MacGregor, read by Mike Sengelow.'A majestic survey... Here are the military doctrines, weapons, luck and leadership that forged our world' DAN SNOW'Elegantly crafted... and written with an eye for telling detail' JONATHAN DIMBLEBY'Gripping, thoughtful and extremely timely' PATRICK BISHOPFor centuries, battles have determined the fate of nations, toppled empires and reshaped civilisations. In Battle, award-winning historian Iain MacGregor charts the key encounters that have shaped the evolution of warfare – from the clash of hoplite spears at Marathon and the storm of longbows at Agincourt, to the firestorms of Stalingrad and the drone warfare of modern Ukraine. Battle is far more than a chronicle of triumphs and defeats. MacGregor delves into the human and technological driving forces behind history’s most decisive clashes: the brilliance – and hubris – of leadership, the revolutionary impact of new weaponry, the fragile lifeline of supply, and, above all, the endurance of morale – the lifeblood of any army. Famous commanders from Julius Caesar to Napoleon are seen afresh as MacGregor examines the units they led, the weapons they used and the tactics that brought them victory, illuminating both the genius and the folly that turned battlefields into crucibles of history. Panoramic in scope yet alive with vivid detail, Battle is an exhilarating ride through centuries of conflict and innovation. MacGregor provides both an authoritative study and a gripping narrative of how war has been fought – and how it has shaped the world in which we live today.
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